Rockgirl
by Exdeathmore
Summary: [AU] Maria Hikari was an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, until a certain incident changed her life forever... This is the story of Maria Hikari and her alterego, Rockgirl! Chapter 2 is up!
1. Maria Hikari

**Rockgirl**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

Disclaimer:** Any and all Rockman-related characters are copyright to Capcom.

* * *

**Chapter 1:** Maria Hikari

The year is 20XX. Mankind is celebrating its greatest triumph in history: the creation of robots. Robots were made in man's image and programmed to obey the 3 Laws of Robotics:

**1.** _A robot must never harm a human being._  
**2.** _A robot must obey its creator/master, unless it conflicts with Law 1._  
**3.** _A robot must preserve itself, unless it conflicts with Laws 1 and 2._

Ownership of robots is available primarily to large businesses and industries, but anyone with enough money could afford one of their own. It seemed that the human race was ready to enter a new era...

However, with the coming of new technology, there also comes individuals who wish to exploit it for their own selfish desires. Hackers and terrorists infect robots with viruses and reprogram them to commit crimes. Within the span of several months, the rate of robot-related crimes rose higher than the rate of regular crimes. Though law enforcement agents resolve a majority of these conflicts, there is still one virus in circulation that continues to plague the entire world...

* * *

_RING! RING!_ A small alarm clock went off, showing the time to be 7:15 AM. It was in a large bedroom, with piles of clothes and other accessories cluttering the floor. In the bed in the corner of the room, a young girl, who appeared to be about 16, with short blonde hair and three small bangs, was still asleep, totally unaware of the alarm going off. The door to her room opened, and a slender middle-aged man with snow white hair, green eyes, glasses, and a white lab coat walked in. He approached the bed, grabbed the girl and shook her a little.

"Wake up," the man said in a gentle voice. "Wake up, Maria." The girl groaned a little and slowly opened her bright blue eyes.

"Huh?" The girl named Maria said. "Papa? What are you doing in my room?"

"Don't you know what time it is?" Maria's father grabbed the alarm clock and waved it in front of her face.

"_AHH!!!_" Maria shrieked. "I'm going to be late!" She immediately sprang out of bed. "This isn't good!" she said as she grabbed her school uniform from her closet. "If I'm late for my first day of high school, everyone will laugh at me!"

"You better hurry, then," Maria's father said as he left the room. After Maria finished changing her clothes, she put on a hairband with a single blue jewel in the center, grabbed her books, and bolted out the door. She ran past her father, who was sitting at the table in the dining room, eating breakfast.

"Aren't you going to eat first?" he yelled after her.

"I can't!" she yelled back as she headed out the front door. Maria was raced down the sidewalk. People were jumping out of the way left and right to avoid running into her. "Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!" she said as she passed by other pedestrians.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Maria finally arrived at Akihabara High School. She made it to the front door, panting and gasping for air.

"Made it... in time..." she gasped as she headed for her first class. Inside the classroom, the other students were talking to each other, waiting for class to start. Maria found an empty desk and put her books on it. She sat down to catch her breath, when one of her classmates, a girl with green eyes and silvery hair tied up in a ponytail, approached her.

"Hi there!" the girl greeted Maria. "I'm Ashe! What's your name?"

"I'm Maria. Maria Hikari," she replied. Ashe looked at Maria closely, gazing into her eyes.

"I can tell... that we're going to be good friends!" said Ashe. "How about telling me a little about yourself, Maria?"

"Well..." As the two girls began to converse, a small argument was going on behind them.

"Forget it!" another girl said to a boy. "I'm not listening to another one of your excuses!"

"C'mon, baby," the boy said, "I told you, it wasn't what it looked like."

"Oh, so I just _hallucinated_ seeing you with flirting with another girl in the middle of our date!"

"I said that wasn't it!" The boy tried to put his hand on her, but she quickly slapped it away.

"Don't touch me, you jerk!" she yelled at him, picking up one of her books and throwing it at him. He swerved out of the way as the book flew across the room and slammed right into the back of Maria's head while she was still talking to Ashe. Ashe, the other girl, and the boy all gasped. Maria looked at all three of them, looking confused.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh my god!" the other girl said. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

"Are you alright, Maria!?" Ashe asked her.

"Of course I am," Maria replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Uh, probably because you just took a blow to the back of the head with a textbook," the boy said, pointing down to the book on the floor. Maria turned around and looked at the book lying on the ground, and rubbed the back of her head.

"Funny, I didn't feel anything just now..." she said. Just then, the school bell rang, and all the students went to their seats as the teacher entered the room.

"Good morning, class," the teacher said. "I hope you're all ready to begin the new school year."

'_School is a good way to meet lots of new people,_' Maria thought to herself. '_I hope I can make lots of friends..._'

* * *

Later that day, school bells rang out, dismissing students for the day. Maria and Ashe were walking together as they left the school yard, talking about different things.

"So," said Ashe, "you're living with your father?"

"Yes," Maria said. "He's a scientist, so he's always going from place to place doing all sorts of important work. We're always moving around because of his work, so I've never stayed in a place long enough to make any friends..."

"Well, I hope that you get to stay here for a long time! Hey, do you have a favorite sport?

"I'm... not really sure, I never really gave sports much thought."

"You should try out for the soccer team! I know I will! Who knows, maybe one of us could turn pro one day!"

"I wish! That would be cool, though." They were walking past an electronics store with televisions sitting in a window display, all showing the same channel. Suddenly, the images on the televisions switched to a news broadcast.

"We interrupt this program for breaking news," the reporter on the screen said. "There have been reports of robot attacks throughout factories in North America. Though the uprising has been quelled, it is believed that the source of this attack is the infamous W Virus. If a robot attack ever occurs in your vicinity, remember to not panic, distance yourself from the robot, and locate the nearest law enforcement officer. That is all." The display then returned to the program it was previously broadcasting.

"That's really scary," said Ashe. "Robot attacks are becoming more common everywhere."

"I know," said Maria. "All you ever hear about in the news is robot attack this, and W Virus that. This city has a lot of robots, too, so naturally, everyone around here is scared." The two girls reached a four-way intersection. "I have to cross the street to head home from here."

"Oh, really? I have to go the other way. I guess this is goodbye for now, then. It was really nice to meet you, Maria. See you at school tomorrow!" Ashe waved at Maria as she ran down the sidewalk.

"See you later, Ashe!" Maria called after her, waving back. The crosswalk signal turned white as she and several other pedestrians crossed the street.

* * *

When Maria got back to her house, she noticed that the front door was unlocked as she turned the knob. Maria opened the door and looked around inside.

"Hello?" she said as she walked in and took off her shoes. "Papa? Are you here?" There was no response. When Maria went into the kitchen, she saw a note on the refrigerator. She pulled it off and read it.

* * *

_Dear Maria,_

_I'm away on some important business right now. I'll try to be home as soon as I can. If I'm not home by dinner, there's some sandwiches in the fridge._

_Love, Dad_

* * *

"Home alone... again," Maria said to herself. She sighed as she put the note on a counter and headed to the living room. She grabbed the remote and turned the television on, which immediately showed an emergency news broadcast.

"Attention, citizens of Tokyo!" the news reporter said. "We have received reports of several robots infected by a virus attack and rampaging through the city!" The display switched to a person-sized humanoid robot stomping through a park, hurling benches and small statues at anything it could reach. "These robots are not armed, but are still extremely dangerous," the reporter continued, "and all citizens are urged to distance themselves from it and stay inside their homes. Law enforcement officers will have the situation contained."

"Oh my, I hope nobody got hurt..." Maria looked worried. Just then, there was a loud knocking on the front door. "Coming!" Maria called out as she approached the front door. 'I hope it's Papa!' she thought as she turned the knob and pulled open the door. Behind it was the robot from the news broadcast, standing over Maria, a pair of white eyes glowing underneath its visor. "A, a-aahhh..." Maria was petrified in fear.

"_E-excuse me, mad-dam,_" the robot stuttered. "_I-it seems th-at you req-quire im-immediate..._" The robot's eyes turned a deep red. "_Termination._" The robot immediately tried to grab Maria.

"Eyaaahh!" Maria screamed as she ducked, crawling away from the robot. The crazed robot approached Maria, its arms extended, ready to grab her. She scrambled to her feet and ran for her father's bedroom. She closed the door, locked it, and propped a chair against it. She was knocked back right when the robot began forcing the door open. She crawled away, her back against the wall. "I'm trapped... there's no way out of here..." Maria wrapped her arms around her legs. "Papa, help me..." Suddenly, the segment of wall behind her slid open as she fell back. Behind the wall was a hidden hallway lined with metal and circuits. "Wh, what is this?" she asked herself. She turned around and saw the barricaded door starting to give way. "No time to think about it!" Maria ran into the secret hallway.

* * *

When Maria got to the other end, she was inside a small laboratory. On the far end of the room was a desk and computer. On the desk was a small wristwatch, and next to it was a large glass case which contained a suit of white body armor.

"This was in my papa's room?" Maria couldn't believe her eyes. Just then, the computer on the other end of the room turned itself on. The monitor, however, showed nothing but static.

"_Think about *kzztt* you're doing, Hikari!_" came a voice from the computer. "_Don't *bzzzzkk* another mistake lik*ssssh* Damn, the signal is weak..._"

"Who's there?" Maria asked. "Who are you?"

"_Wait a *kzzz*ute. You're not Dr. Hikari! Who are you?_"

"Dr. Hikari? That's my father! I'm her daughter!"

"_Y, you're his dau*bzzzzt* What are you doing in*sssshh*_"

"Please, call for help, do something! There's a robot here trying to hurt me!"

"_..._" The computer was quiet for a moment. "_I guess there's*zzt*choice now, is there...? Okay, lis*zzzzz* closely. There should be a watch next to the computer. Put it on._" Maria approached the computer, picked up the wristwatch, and slipped it around her right wrist.

"It's a perfect fit," Maria said, looking at the blue R that adorned the centerpiece of the watch. "What now?" Suddenly, she heard a loud noise behind her. The robot had gotten past the door. "Please, hurry!"

"_Calm down. Now, hold up your arm and s*kzzzzzzzz*..._"

"And what? Hello? Are you there?" Maria turned around and saw the robot closing in on her.

"_Terminate. Must terminate,_" the robot repeated as it approached her. The computer began to buzz.

"_...say the password, 'Rock Armor, Equip!_'" came the voice, now more clearly. Maria held up her right arm, closed her eyes, and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Rock Armor, _**Equip!!!**_" The small watch began to glow, as did the body armor inside the glass case. The robot was startled by this as it stepped away. The glass case shattered as the individual pieces of the armor began to hover around Maria. Maria was stunned as the armor began attaching itself to her, first at the torso and shoulders, then at her forearms and legs. A black material extended from the torso piece, covering her upper arms and legs, hands, waist, and neck. When it was finished, Maria looked at herself. "Wh, what is this? My arms... my legs... my... chest!?" Maria placed her hands on the large round shapes on the chestpiece of the armor. "Wh, why is it so big?"

"_Perhaps Dr. Hikari wasn't expecting a female to use his... ahem, 'form-fitting' body armor._"

"_Terminate!_" the robot shouted as it charged towards Maria. Maria squealed as she cringed.

"_Don't just stand there!_" the voice from the computer shouted at her. "_Fight that thing!_"

"But, but... I'm scared..." Maria whined. The robot lunged at her arms extended. "Kyaahhh!" she screamed, putting her arms out in front of her. She shoved the robot, knocking it across the room and slamming into the wall.

"_See? That armor is for more than looks! Now, finish it off with the Rock Buster!_"

"Rock Buster?"

"_It's built into the left arm piece! Focus, and it will appear!_"

"O, okay..." Maria closed her eyes, and began to focus. 'Work... please, work!' Her left arm began to glow as its form began to change. Her hand sank into the large piece of armor as a small barrel emerged in its place. 'Is this... a gun?' she thought as she pointed it at the stunned robot. She grabbed the small cannon with her right hand and took aim. 'I feel so nervous,' she thought, 'and yet... how can I keep my arm so steady?' She pointed the cannon at the robot and shouted out.

"Rock... Buster!" A large ball of energy shot out from the cannon, striking the robot and blowing it into pieces. A small chip flew out of the wreckage and landed at Maria's feet. A small purple cloud emerged from it and dissipated into the air. "I... I did it!" Maria said with a sigh.

"_It seems that robots infected by the W Virus are becoming more hostile with each passing day," the voice in the computer said. "This is the first time I've heard of an infected robot trying to attack a human._"

"Thank you for helping me," Maria said to the computer, "but who are you?"

"_I'm... well, that's not important. What is important is that you shouldn't be seen wearing that armor._" Maria looked at herself again, still covered in the white armor.

"Ah!" Maria gasped. She grabbed the torso piece and tried to tear it off, but it wouldn't budge. "What should I do? How do I get this off!?"

"_Relax. There should be a release switch on the torso piece. I think it looks like a small gem._" Maria looked at her chest and saw a blue gem underneath the collar plate around her neck. It looked slightly bigger than the jewel that adorned her headband.

"Is this it?" she asked as she pressed the gem. Her body began to glow, and in an instant, the armor disappeared. "Huh? Where did it go?"

"_It's in a safe place,_" the voice answered. "_It's stored in the watch in the form of data. Now, if you ever need the armor, just use the password I gave you, and it will appear again._"

"But I don't want it! I'm just a normal schoolgirl with a normal life!"

"_There's no helping that. The RG-01 body armor fits the form of the person who uses it first. Now, you're the only one who can use it. Also, you must not tell anyone other than your father what's happened here today._"

"But..." Maria interrupted, and paused for a moment. "...Okay, I understand now."

"_Y, you do?_"

"Yes... this is all a dream! I'm just imagining all these things!" Maria took off the watch and placed it on the desk next to the computer.

"_Wait a minute! What are you doing? You can't just use that thing and then get rid of it!_"

"I'm going to bed now, and when I wake up, this will all be a bad dream. Good night, Mr. Computer." She turned around and walked out of the room.

"_Wait a*kzzzzt* Dammit, the connection's break---_" The computer shut itself down.

* * *

That night, Maria's father had finally returned home from his work. As he walked in through the front door, everything seemed to be in place. He noticed that the television was still on, so he picked up the remote and turned it off. He headed over to Maria's room, and opened the door slowly.

"Maria?" he whispered to see if she was awake.

"Mmm..." Maria mumbled in her sleep. "Watch... talking computer..."

"Good night, my little girl..." Maria's father quietly closed the door.

When he got to his room, he noticed that his chair was knocked over, lying next to the door.

"What happened here?" he asked himself. "...the lab!" He approached the part of the wall that concealed the hidden room. He knelt down and pressed a button that was barely visible to the human eye. The wall slid open as he entered the hidden room. He looked around, and noticed two things: a smoldering pile of scrap, and the broken glass case. "What is this!? Where's the RG-01?" He ran over to the desk with the computer and watch, and picked up the watch. He ran his fingers over it, feeling its warmth. He clutched the watch and closed his eyes.

"Maria..." he said to himself. He looked down, and saw a small computer chip lying on the ground. He bent down to pic it up, and noticed that it had a large W in the middle of it. "...This confirms my fears... it is you, isn't it...?"


	2. And Her Name is Rockgirl

**Rockgirl**

**by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 2: **And Her Name is Rockgirl

The morning after Maria Hikari's fateful day had finally come. As the sun emerged from the horizon, Maria's father entered her room, placed his hand on her shoulder, and shook her gently.

"Maria," he said, "it's time to wake up."

"Mmm..." Maria groaned. "Just five more minutes..."

"Oh, then I guess you don't want this present I got for you, then..."

"Present!?" Maria immediately sprang out of bed. She saw her father holding a small box in his hand, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Papa! You're the best!"

"You're welcome, honey," he said as he placed the box on the dresser next to her bed. "I have to go to work soon, so I'll just leave this here. Be a good girl until I get back, okay?"

"Okay! I promise!"

"Well, I better get going. You should get ready for school, too." Mr. Hikari hugged his daughter as he left her room.

"Bye, Papa!" Maria called after him. She looked at the box on the dresser. "I wonder what he got me?" She picked up the box and pulled off the lid. Her eyes widened at what was inside: a small wristwatch that was just the right size for her. The centerpiece of the watch was adorned with a blue R. "This watch... it can't be..." She thought back to what happened yesterday, when she was attacked by the infected robot, which she dismissed as a dream. "...it's just a coincidence. This is just an ordinary watch." She slipped the watch around her right wrist. "I need to get ready for school, or I'll be late."

* * *

When Maria arrived at school, everything seemed normal. As Maria sat down at her desk, she was approached by her new friend Ashe.

"Maria!" she said cheerfully. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," Maria said back with a smile.

"Did you hear about the news? You know, about the robot attacks from yesterday?"

"Y, Yesterday? Yes, w, why?"

"The police said that there were five robots that were infected yesterday, but they only found four! That means there's still one on the loose!"

"No there isn't! It was destroyed!" Maria blurted out without even thinking.

"Hmm? How do you know that, Maria?"

"Um, well..." Maria couldn't possibly tell Ashe what happened yesterday, not that she would believe her if she did. "...Well, if it was still on the loose, it would've done something bad by now, right? Maybe it ran out of power, or got broken somewhere..."

"Hmm... I suppose you have a point there." Ashe then noticed Maria's watch. "Hey, is that a new watch?" She grabbed Maria's arm and pulled it closer to examine it." I've never seen a watch like this for sale before. Where did you get it?"

"It... was a present."

"Really? From who? Maybe a secret admirer?"

"Wha? No, nothing like that! It was from my Papa!"

"I see... but still, it wouldn't be surprising if someone had a secret crush on you... you have the looks, and I hear a lot of guys go for the shy, innocent types."

"Oh, stop that! You're embarrassing me!" Just then, the teacher entered the room. "Ah, class is starting!"

* * *

Later that day, during her lunch break, Maria went to the restroom to wash up. There was nobody else inside as she approached the sink and let the water run. She filled her hands with cold water and splashed it on her face.

"This watch..." she said to herself. "Does that mean, that yesterday was...?"

"_I told you that you couldn't just get rid of it,_" came a familiar voice. It was the same voice Maria had heard on the computer in the hidden room yesterday.

"Wahh!" Maria jumped away from the sink, her back against the wall. "Th, that voice...? Are you some pervert, peeping on me?"

"_Pervert? First of all, you're not even on the toilet. I hear running water, like a sink. Second, I'm not into that kind of stuff._"

"Where are you?"

"_I'm not in there. Look at the watch._" Maria looked down, and saw the R on her watch glowing faintly. "I managed to hack into the watch so that I'd be able to talk to you."

"This isn't happening!" Maria said. "This is all in my head! You aren't real, and nothing happened yesterday!"

"_Will you be quiet and listen to me for a change!?_" the voice in the watch yelled at her. "_The watch and the RG-01 body armor were made for a specific purpose._"

"Huh?"

"_The virus attacks against robots are starting to worsen, especially because of the W Virus. The infected robots are becoming increasingly hostile, even going so far as violating the Laws of Robotics. The police won't be able to handle these problems on their own much longer. That's why your father, Dr. Hikari, created the RG-01._"

"Papa did...?"

* * *

Outside of the restroom, Ashe was about to walk in, but stopped when she heard Maria's voice behind the door.

"Is that Maria talking in there?" she asked herself as she put an ear to the door.

* * *

"_That's right,_" the voice continued. "_The RG-01 was built to protect innocent people from falling victim to virus attacks. It was also Dr. Hikari's hope that the one who uses it would also find the one responsible for the creation of the W Virus, and bring them to justice. However, in order to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, he had designed the RG-01 to be usable only by the first person to use it. And since that person was you, the responsibility is now yours._"

"But, I don't want it!" Maria said. "I just want a normal life! To go to school, make friends, and maybe find a boyfriend..."

"_Understand that if you didn't use the watch and the armor that day, you would in a hospital, or worse, in a grave, right now._" Maria was silent. "_...I can't force you into doing something that you don't want to, but the way things stand, you're the only one who can use the RG-01 now. Whether you want to use it or not is entirely your choice, and no one else's._" Just then, the restroom door swung open, and Ashe walked in.

"Maria?" she said, looking around. "Who are you talking to? Is there someone in here?"

"Ah, nobody! There's nobody here! Who would I be talking to, myself?" Maria tried to laugh it off.

"Hm, I could've sworn I heard you talking in here, though..."

* * *

The school bells rang out, marking the end of class. As Maria walked across the schoolyard, she looked around to see if anyone was watching, then looked down at her watch.

"Are you there?" she said into it, hoping that the person talking to her was still listening.

"_I'm right here,_" the voice said. "_What is it?_"

"Why do you think Papa gave me the watch?"

"_Hmm... I think it might be because he already knew that you used it. I mean, it's hard not to notice the mess you made in his private room yesterday._"

"He didn't mention anything about the watch being special. I wonder if he wants me to use it to fight for him...?"

"_Not likely. I think that he also believes in letting you make that decision for yourself, like me. I'm sure he would want it so that you still have a chance to live a normal life. My guess is that if you don't use it, he'll simply make another one._"

"You think so?" Just then, Maria heard a very faint beeping noise. She looked around to see where it was coming from, and then realized it was coming from her watch. She looked at it, and noticed the blue was blinking on and off. "What is it doing? Why is it blinking like this?"

"_Looks like it's been activated,_" the voice said.

"What's been activated?"

"_The watch has multiple uses. Not only is it used for storing the RG-01 and for communication, it can also act as a radar._"

"A radar? For what?"

"_For detecting virus attacks._" Suddenly, there came several screams of terror, coming from across the street, behind a tall wooden fence that barred off a construction site.

"What was that!?" Maria ran across the street and around the fence.

* * *

"Help us!" one of the construction workers shouted as he ran away from a large, bulky robot holding a steel beam.

"Unauthorized personnel must leave the work site immediately!" the robot yelled at the workers, swinging the beam around like a bat.

"It's gone haywire!" another worker said. "Somebody call the police!" The construction robot swung down the beam in front of the worker's face, knocking him back. Maria was at the site entrance, watching the event unfurl.

"This... this is terrible!" Maria gasped.

"_Attacks like these are just going to happen more and more the longer the W Virus is left unchecked,_" said the voice in the watch. "_Protecting people like those workers is exactly why the RG-01 was created._"

"Ahh! Somebody save me!" cried an injured worker who was being cornered by the massive robot. "I don't want to die!"

"Little boys don't belong on the work site!" the robot yelled as it clutched the large beam in its hands.

"Oh no! He's in trouble!" Maria said.

"_You have the power to save him right now,_" said the voice in the watch. "_Now, the question is, will you use that power?_"

"When you put it that way... it's not really much of a choice, is it?"

"_Like I said, I can't force you. You have the choice: save the worker, or walk away._"

"..." Maria was silent for a moment. 'I can't just walk away from someone in trouble...' she thought. 'If I can help him, then I should!' "Okay!" she said to the watch. "I'll do it! If you say I have the power to save him, then I should!"

"_...Then that is the decision you have made for yourself. Do you remember the password to activate the armor?_"

"Um, well... Before, I thought it was a dream, so... I forgot it!"

"_The password is, 'Rock Armor, Equip!' I wouldn't try doing it out in the open, though._"

"Ah, you're right! If someone saw me, I don't know what I'd do!" Maria frantically looked around for a secluded spot, and noticed a pile of stone pipes on the far end of the site. "Over there!" She ran over to the pile and hid behind it. Once it was safe, she held up her right arm.

"Rock Armor, _**EQUIP!**_" she cried out. Two spirals of light poured out of the watch on her wrist, wrapping themselves around her. In a bright flash, Maria was once again clad in the white body armor she wore yesterday.

* * *

"You're... _FIRED!!!_" the construction robot said as it lifted up the steel beam, ready to strike the injured worker. The worker cringed, preparing for his demise.

"_STOP!_" came a loud voice. The robot stopped and turned around to see Maria standing on the pile of stone pipes. The worker looked around the robot to see her as well.

"Who's there!?" the robot demanded.

"Umm..." Maria didn't know how to respond. "...um, please stop being mean to these people. They did nothing wrong!"

"Little boys on the site are bad," said the robot. Suddenly, it began to charge straight towards Maria. "But little girls are even worse!" He swung the large beam. Maria covered her face with her hands as it struck her, knocking her into the wooden fence and demolishing it. Meanwhile, several workers ran over to help the injured worker up.

"Are you okay?" one of the workers asked. "What just happened?"

"I think I was just saved..." the injured worker said. "But that poor girl... she didn't deserve that..."

"Another job well done," said the crazed construction robot, standing over the pile of wooden planks. Just then, something began moving underneath the pile. Maria slowly emerged from the debris, virtually unscathed, save for a bruise or two.

"Ow, ow, ow... that hurt!" she said as she got up. She looked around and saw the mess that she made. "Ah! Look at this mess! I won't be able to pay for this damage!"

"_It's going to get a lot worse if you don't end this fight as soon as possible!_" said the voice from the watch, only now it was coming from Maria's right-hand armor piece.

"What should I do?" Maria asked it.

"_Remember how you stopped the other robot! Use the Rock Buster!_"

"R, right!" Just as Maria was preparing herself, the construction robot lifted the beam again, and brought it down, trying to drive her into the ground like a stake. "It's attacking again!"

"Stop it!" the voice shouted. "Grab it with your hands!" Maria immediately complied, putting her arms out above her. As the beam came down, she caught it with her hands, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"I, I did it!"

"_The RG-01 is for more than just looks. While you wear it, you have enhanced strength and speed, rivaling and even surpassing that of a robot. Now, it's time to turn the tables!_"

"Okay!" Maria jerked the beam away from the robot. She then swung the beam in the same fashion as the robot, striking it and knocking it away, into the stone pipes. Maria dropped the giant beam and approached the robot.

"_Now's your chance. Finish it off with the Rock Buster! Remember, just focus, and it will appear!_"

"Alright, then!" Maria began to concentrate, and her left arm began to turn into a small cannon. She pointed it at the robot, who was starting to get back up. "Rock Buster!" A ball of energy shot out of the barrel, piercing the robot's chest, and bursting out its back. The robot fell back down as its body went limp.

"She, she stopped it..." the injured worker said, completely stunned.

"You!" One of the workers pointed at Maria, and approached her.

"Me!?" Maria was surprised. 'Uh oh, I hope I'm not in trouble...'

"You... you're a hero! You saved us all from that crazy robot!"

"Me? A hero?" Just then, a news van pulled up to the site, followed by several police vehicles. The van's doors flew open, and several cameramen and reporters came pouring out. They immediately swarmed around Maria, sticking microphones in her face and snapping multiple pictures.

"We're here live on the scene of a recent robot attack," said one of the reporters towards the camera. "Several construction workers were caught up in the incident, but fortunately, none were seriously injured." The reporter approached one of the workers. "Can you describe what happened here?"

"Yeah," said the worker. "We were just working on this building, when all of a sudden, the robot went crazy and started attacking everyone! One of my co-workers almost got killed by that thing, until that robot girl over there saved him!" The construction worker pointed at Maria.

"There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! A near-disaster averted by the bravery of a mysterious robotic girl!" The reporter ran over to Maria and held the mic up to her. "Tell us your comments on the incident."

"Ah! Well, um... I, that is... I just, wanted to help..."

"Are you working for the police? The military? What is your name?"

"My name!? M, m, ma..." Maria began stuttering. 'I can't just say I'm Maria Hikari!' she thought. '_I need to think of something, quick!_'

"Well, miss? Your name, please."

"M, my name? My name..." Maria began to think about other things, like the phrase, 'Rock Armor, Equip' and the Rock Buster weapon. "My name is... **Rockgirl**!" She blushed when she said that name. '_I feel so embarrassed... That's such a silly name!_' She bowed to the reporter and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now! Bye!" Maria began to push her way through the crowd of reporters and ran away as fast as her legs would carry her. She was out of the crowd's sight within seconds.

* * *

Several blocks away from the construction site, Maria snuck her way into a small alley and pressed the large blue gem on her chest. In a flash, her armor vanished as she returned to her school uniform.

"That was scary..." she said, holding her hand over her heart. "I never want to do that again!"

"_I think you handled yourself quite well back there,_" said the voice in the watch.

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your help, though. Umm... you still haven't told me your name..."

"_Like I said, that's not really important. But if you really need a name to call me, just call me... X._"

"X? That's a weird name."

"_As weird as 'Rockgirl', you think?_"

"Ahh! D, do you think that name is... weird...?"

"_Actually, I kind of like that name. A good way of hiding your real identity, and on top of that, they all think Rockgirl's a robot instead of a human. I think you should head home, and make yourself scarce from this area._"

"Right..." Maria walked back out of the alley and headed for home.

"_Oh, and one more thing..._"

"Hmm?"

"_If you need any kind of advice... I'm always here for you to talk to._"

"...Thank you..."

* * *

Back home, Maria saw her father's car parked in the driveway.

"Papa's home," Maria said. "I wonder if he'll say anything about the watch now..."

"_Like I said before, he probably won't. Also, don't tell him about me hacking into the watch. It could cause some... problems for all of us._"

"You think...?" As Maria grabbed the knob of the front door, she took a deep breath. 'Think happy thoughts, Maria!' she thought as she put on the best smile she could. She opened the door and said cheerfully, "I'm home, Papa!" Maria's father poked his head out from behind his bedroom door and saw her across the hallway.

"Welcome home, Maria," he said with a smile. "How was school today?"

"Exhausting," she replied as she made her way to the living room. "I just want to rest right now." She plopped herself down onto the sofa, grabbed the remote and turned on the television to see if any good programs were on. The first channel she saw was covering some sort of news story.

"Earlier today," said the reporter on the television, "there was another robot attack, this time endangering the lives of several construction workers. There would have been certain casualties in this incident, had it not been for this courageous robot girl." The display switched to a recording of Maria, who at that time was disguised as Rockgirl.

"Eep!" Maria squeaked. "I, I'm all over the news...!"

"And what is this little heroine's name? After an interview, she has given her name as '**Rockgirl**'! Is she a champion of justice, or is she a one-hit wonder? More details as they become available." The reporter put down her papers and picked up another stack.

"This is so embarrassing..." Maria mumbled to herself as she slumped down her seat, her face turning red. "I hope nobody finds out that was me on the news..."

"In related news," the reporter continued, "police have confirmed the source of the construction robot's malfunction. Tests show that the robot fell victim to the infamous W Virus. Scientists are currently attempting to develop an antivirus to counter this threat. More details as they become available."

"The W Virus... Who would make something so terrible, and what would they gain from hurting so many people...?"

* * *

In an unknown location, two dark figures conversed with each other.

"We've lost contact with another drone," said one of the figures. Several large pictures appeared before it, all of them displaying Rockgirl. The pictures seem to have been taken from the construction robot's point of view. "Perhaps we should send out a Number to deal with this nuisance..."

"That shouldn't be necessary," said the other figure. "Allow me to monitor this situation more closely before we take any decisive action."

"Very well. But this shall be on your shoulders. Do not disappoint me."

"Your wish is my command, Master." The second figure left the first alone in the dark chamber, who was still gazing at the pictures of Rockgirl.

"...Is this your work, Tadashi? If so, then that means..." The figure began to chuckle to itself, which grew into a maniacal laughter that echoed throughout the room. Above the figure glowed a large purple W.

* * *


End file.
